Kings takeaways: What we learned from 111-95 win vs. Magic

Kings takeaways: What we learned from 111-95 win vs. Magic

SACRAMENTO -- The streak is over. After dropping the last four games in gut-wrenching fashion, the Sacramento Kings put away for the Orlando Magic early Monday evening at Golden 1 Center.

De’Aaron Fox showed off his speed, but it was a team effort for the Kings with six players finishing in double-figures. Sacramento outshot, outrebounded and out passed the Magic on their way to a 111-95 victory.

Playing on the second night of a back-to-back, the Magic looked tired and at some points, disinterested in the action. Nikola Vucevic put up a solid double-double in limited minutes and Terrence Ross added 20 points off the bench, but it wasn’t nearly enough to slow the Kings.

Here are three takeaways as the Kings moved back to the .500 mark on the season at 20-20.

Fox gets right

The Kings’ starting point guard hasn’t quite looked himself the last few games. He’s taken a beating from the opposition, including a knee to the thigh and a couple of stitches above his eye against the Warriors.

Against the Magic, he was a flash. The 21-year-old guard exploded to the rim, finishing with 20 points on 9-for-14 shooting in just 22 minutes of action.

He was disruptive on both ends of the floor, picking up five steals and playing well above the rim for a handful of highlight reel dunks.

Stat stuffer

Bogdan Bogdanovic went to work early. Starting for the injured Iman Shumpert, the second-year wing got the passing game started for the Kings and he hit the glass hard before looking for his own shot.

He warmed up in the third quarter and finished with 15 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in the win.

Bogdanovic is a catalyst player for the Kings and against the Magic, he was impressive.

Like Sacramento, the Nets are surprising teams around the league with their gritty play. Brooklyn's won three straight, including victories over the Celtics, Rockets and Magic.

D'Angelo Russell is having a breakout season for the Nets, posting 19 points a game as the team's starting point guard. Spencer Dinwiddie is providing the punch off the bench, averagin 17.1 points per game in a reserve role.

Kings Pregame Live on NBC Sports California begins at 12:00 p.m., with tipoff scheduled for 12:30. All coverage can be seen on the MyTeams by NBC Sports app.

Sacramento continues their six-game road trip on Tuesday with a back-to-back against the first place Toronto Raptors. They'll hit Memphis on Friday and finish off the trip Sunday with a stop in Los Angeles.

Injury Report

Rotation Outlook

Kings: The cardiac Kings continue to shock the league with their pace and style of play. Coach Dave Joerger's group is sixth in the league in scoring, averaging 114 points per game. They've made improvements on the defensive side of the ball, but they are still a work in progress.

Rookie Marvin Bagley started in the second half of the team's win over the Pistons, giving the team a glimpse into the near future. The 19-year-old scored 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting and grabbed two rebounds in 27 minutes of action.

Hield continues to pace the team in scoring at 20.5 points per game. In the month of January, the third-year shooting guard is averaging 23.4 points on 53.6 percent shooting from the field and 56.1 percent shooting from long range.

Nets: Brooklyn hit the reboot button a few years back hoping to rebuild their culture and talent base. They've shown massive improvement this season and currently sit in the sixth spot in the Eastern Conference standings at 24-23.

Kenny Atkinson's group doesn't blow you away statistically. They rank 16th in the league in scoring and 21st in points allowed. They play at the NBA's 20th slowest pace and sit near the bottom of the league in steals and blocks.

The Nets love to hoist 3-pointers, averaging 34.5 attempts per game. They hit 36.3 percent from long range, which is good enough for seventh in the league.